Kevin Mitnick was the most elusive computer break-in artist in history. He accessed computers and networks at the world’s biggest companies—and however fast the authorities were, Mitnick was faster, sprinting through phone switches, computer systems, and cellular networks. He spent years skipping through cyberspace, always three steps ahead and labeled unstoppable.

5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Text and Excellent Reader

By
Olivier
on
29-02-12

Countdown to Zero Day

Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon

By:
Kim Zetter

Narrated by:
Joe Ochman

Length: 13 hrs and 1 min

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
194

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
181

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
181

Top cybersecurity journalist Kim Zetter tells the story behind the virus that sabotaged Iran’s nuclear efforts and shows how its existence has ushered in a new age of warfare - one in which a digital attack can have the same destructive capability as a megaton bomb.

5 out of 5 stars

Intriguing story - well told!

By
N. Dwyer
on
18-04-15

The Art of Invisibility

The World's Most Famous Hacker Teaches You How to Be Safe in the Age of Big Brother and Big Data

By:
Kevin Mitnick

Narrated by:
Ray Porter

Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
204

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
189

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
186

Like it or not, your every move is being watched and analyzed. Consumers' identities are being stolen, and a person's every step is being tracked and stored. What once might have been dismissed as paranoia is now a hard truth, and privacy is a luxury few can afford or understand. In this explosive yet practical book, Kevin Mitnick illustrates what is happening without your knowledge - and he teaches you "the art of invisibility".

5 out of 5 stars

Interesting read

By
Paul c
on
12-12-18

Future Crimes

A Journey to the Dark Side of Technology - and How to Survive It

By:
Marc Goodman

Narrated by:
Marc Goodman,
Robertson Dean

Length: 20 hrs and 8 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
196

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
177

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
174

The New York Times best seller. Technological advances have benefited our world in immeasurable ways, but there is an ominous flipside. Criminals are often the earliest and most innovative adopters of technology, and modern times have led to modern crimes. Today's criminals are stealing identities, draining online bank accounts, and wiping out computer servers.

5 out of 5 stars

Thought provoking

By
John Thurman
on
24-08-15

Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution

25th Anniversary Edition

By:
Steven Levy

Narrated by:
Mike Chamberlain

Length: 20 hrs and 23 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
131

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
119

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
118

Steven Levy's classic book traces the exploits of the computer revolution's original hackers - those brilliant and eccentric nerds from the late 1950s through the early '80s who took risks, bent the rules, and pushed the world in a radical new direction. With updated material from noteworthy hackers such as Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Stallman, and Steve Wozniak,
Hackers is a fascinating story that begins in early computer research labs and leads to the first home computers.

4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable and inspiring

By
Martin & Nina
on
17-03-16

Click Here to Kill Everybody

Security and Survival in a Hyper-connected World

By:
Bruce Schneier

Narrated by:
Roger Wayne

Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins

Unabridged

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
5

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
5

Story

5 out of 5 stars
5

Everything is a computer. Ovens are computers that make things hot; refrigerators are computers that keep things cold. These computers - from home thermostats to chemical plants - are all online. All computers can be hacked. And Internet-connected computers are the most vulnerable. Forget data theft: Cutting-edge digital attackers can now crash your car, your pacemaker, and the nation’s power grid. In Click Here to Kill Everybody, renowned expert and best-selling author Bruce Schneier examines the hidden risks of this new reality.

5 out of 5 stars

this should be required reading

By
Mr J Tupper
on
13-01-19

Ghost in the Wires

My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker

By:
Kevin Mitnick,
William L. Simon

Narrated by:
Ray Porter

Length: 13 hrs and 59 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,163

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
948

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
948

Kevin Mitnick was the most elusive computer break-in artist in history. He accessed computers and networks at the world’s biggest companies—and however fast the authorities were, Mitnick was faster, sprinting through phone switches, computer systems, and cellular networks. He spent years skipping through cyberspace, always three steps ahead and labeled unstoppable.

5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Text and Excellent Reader

By
Olivier
on
29-02-12

Countdown to Zero Day

Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon

By:
Kim Zetter

Narrated by:
Joe Ochman

Length: 13 hrs and 1 min

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
194

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
181

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
181

Top cybersecurity journalist Kim Zetter tells the story behind the virus that sabotaged Iran’s nuclear efforts and shows how its existence has ushered in a new age of warfare - one in which a digital attack can have the same destructive capability as a megaton bomb.

5 out of 5 stars

Intriguing story - well told!

By
N. Dwyer
on
18-04-15

The Art of Invisibility

The World's Most Famous Hacker Teaches You How to Be Safe in the Age of Big Brother and Big Data

By:
Kevin Mitnick

Narrated by:
Ray Porter

Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
204

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
189

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
186

Like it or not, your every move is being watched and analyzed. Consumers' identities are being stolen, and a person's every step is being tracked and stored. What once might have been dismissed as paranoia is now a hard truth, and privacy is a luxury few can afford or understand. In this explosive yet practical book, Kevin Mitnick illustrates what is happening without your knowledge - and he teaches you "the art of invisibility".

5 out of 5 stars

Interesting read

By
Paul c
on
12-12-18

Future Crimes

A Journey to the Dark Side of Technology - and How to Survive It

By:
Marc Goodman

Narrated by:
Marc Goodman,
Robertson Dean

Length: 20 hrs and 8 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
196

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
177

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
174

The New York Times best seller. Technological advances have benefited our world in immeasurable ways, but there is an ominous flipside. Criminals are often the earliest and most innovative adopters of technology, and modern times have led to modern crimes. Today's criminals are stealing identities, draining online bank accounts, and wiping out computer servers.

5 out of 5 stars

Thought provoking

By
John Thurman
on
24-08-15

Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution

25th Anniversary Edition

By:
Steven Levy

Narrated by:
Mike Chamberlain

Length: 20 hrs and 23 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
131

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
119

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
118

Steven Levy's classic book traces the exploits of the computer revolution's original hackers - those brilliant and eccentric nerds from the late 1950s through the early '80s who took risks, bent the rules, and pushed the world in a radical new direction. With updated material from noteworthy hackers such as Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Stallman, and Steve Wozniak,
Hackers is a fascinating story that begins in early computer research labs and leads to the first home computers.

4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable and inspiring

By
Martin & Nina
on
17-03-16

Click Here to Kill Everybody

Security and Survival in a Hyper-connected World

By:
Bruce Schneier

Narrated by:
Roger Wayne

Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins

Unabridged

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
5

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
5

Story

5 out of 5 stars
5

Everything is a computer. Ovens are computers that make things hot; refrigerators are computers that keep things cold. These computers - from home thermostats to chemical plants - are all online. All computers can be hacked. And Internet-connected computers are the most vulnerable. Forget data theft: Cutting-edge digital attackers can now crash your car, your pacemaker, and the nation’s power grid. In Click Here to Kill Everybody, renowned expert and best-selling author Bruce Schneier examines the hidden risks of this new reality.

5 out of 5 stars

this should be required reading

By
Mr J Tupper
on
13-01-19

Cyber Wars

Hacks That Shocked the Business World

By:
Charles Arthur

Narrated by:
Joe Jameson

Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
22

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
21

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
21

Cyber Wars gives you the dramatic inside stories of some of the world's biggest cyber attacks. These are the game-changing hacks that make organisations around the world tremble and leaders stop and consider just how safe they really are. Charles Arthur provides a gripping account of why each hack happened, what techniques were used, what the consequences were and how they could have been prevented. Cyber attacks are some of the most frightening threats currently facing business leaders, and this book provides a deep insight into understanding how they work.

5 out of 5 stars

Topical and interesting

By
Pusateri
on
16-01-19

The Art of Deception

Controlling the Human Element of Security

By:
Kevin Mitnick

Narrated by:
Nick Sullivan

Length: 13 hrs and 41 mins

Unabridged

Overall

3.5 out of 5 stars
88

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
54

Story

3.5 out of 5 stars
52

The world's most infamous hacker offers an insider's view of the low-tech threats to high-tech security. Kevin Mitnick's exploits as a cyber-desperado and fugitive form one of the most exhaustive FBI manhunts in history and have spawned dozens of articles, books, films, and documentaries. Since his release from federal prison, in 1998, Mitnick has turned his life around and established himself as one of the most sought-after computer security experts worldwide.

3 out of 5 stars

interesting but repetitive...

By
Mr. S. Riley
on
10-02-10

No Place to Hide

Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State

By:
Glenn Greenwald

Narrated by:
L. J. Ganser

Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
129

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
116

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
116

In May 2013, Glenn Greenwald set out for Hong Kong to meet an anonymous source who claimed to have astonishing evidence of pervasive government spying and insisted on communicating only through heavily encrypted channels. That source turned out to be the 29-year-old NSA contractor Edward Snowden, and his revelations about the agency’s widespread, systemic overreach proved to be some of the most explosive and consequential news in recent history, triggering a fierce debate over national security....

4 out of 5 stars

good book but might be better as a read

By
Timo van Weenen
on
24-07-15

Data and Goliath

The Hidden Battles to Capture Your Data and Control Your World

By:
Bruce Schneier

Narrated by:
Dan John Miller

Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
101

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
93

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
93

In
Data and Goliath, Schneier reveals the full extent of surveillance, censorship, and propaganda in society today, examining the risks of cybercrime, cyberterrorism, and cyberwar. He shares technological, legal, and social solutions that can help shape a more equal, private, and secure world. This is an audiobook to which everyone with an Internet connection - or bank account or smart device or car, for that matter - needs to listen.

5 out of 5 stars

scary and eye opening

By
pockets
on
01-12-16

DarkMarket

CyberThieves, CyberCops and You

By:
Misha Glenny

Narrated by:
Misha Glenny

Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
90

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
73

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
73

The benefits of living in a digital, globalised society are enormous; so too are the dangers. The world has become a law enforcer’s nightmare and every criminal’s dream. We bank online, shop online, date, learn, work and live online. But have the institutions that keep us safe on the streets learned to protect us in the burgeoning digital world? Have we become complacent about our personal security – sharing our thoughts, beliefs and the details of our daily lives with anyone who cares to relieve us of them?

4 out of 5 stars

interesting and well described

By
clifford
on
08-03-16

The World's Most Dangerous Geek

And More True Hacking Stories

By:
David Kushner

Narrated by:
Nan McNamara

Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
11

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
10

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
10

Every day, it seems, we hear stories about hackers. Hackers breaking into the computers of banks, governments, and corporations. Some are criminals, coding to exploit and destroy. Others are activists, using their tools to challenge institutions and fight for freedom. But often these characters linger in the shadows. Who are they? What makes them tick? Are they our allies, or our enemies?

The CISSP certification is the gold standard for security professionals, but ISC2‘s official study guide is anything but easy to read. Many books have tried to simplify this but fail to leave behind the $100 words and run-on sentences. An update to the original Simple CISSP book, Essential CISSP Exam Guide takes the entire official study guide and breaks it down into easy-to-absorb chapters with simple language. Tons of examples are included to drive the points home in a way that makes it effortless to remember.

4 out of 5 stars

Good in addition to other study material

By
Gary N.
on
20-11-18

American Kingpin

The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road Drugs Empire

By:
Nick Bilton

Narrated by:
Will Damron

Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,067

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
987

Story

5 out of 5 stars
985

From
New York Times best-selling author Nick Bilton comes a true-life thriller about the rise and fall of Ross Ulbricht, aka the Dread Pirate Roberts, the founder of the online black market Silk Road. In 2011, Ulbricht, a 26-year-old libertarian idealist and former Boy Scout, launched 'a website where people could buy anything anonymously, with no trail whatsoever that could lead back to them'. He called it Silk Road, opened for business on the Dark Web, and christened himself the Dread Pirate Roberts.

5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely gripping

By
S. Bramble
on
23-12-17

Cybersecurity and Cyberwar

What Everyone Needs to Know

By:
P. W. Singer,
Allan Friedman

Narrated by:
Sean Pratt

Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
31

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
29

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
29

In
Cybersecurity and Cyberwar: What Everyone Needs to Know®,
New York Times best-selling author P. W. Singer and noted cyberexpert Allan Friedman team up to provide the kind of deeply informative resource book that has been missing on a crucial issue of 21st-century life. Written in a lively, accessible style, filled with engaging stories and illustrative anecdotes, the book is structured around the key question areas of cyberspace and its security: how it all works, why it all matters....

4 out of 5 stars

A bit of backstory for the larger "cyber stories"

By
A. Jackson
on
23-02-16

Social Engineering: The Art of Human Hacking

By:
Paul Wilson (foreword),
Christopher Hadnagy

Narrated by:
A. T. Chandler

Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
167

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
133

Story

4 out of 5 stars
134

From elicitation, pretexting, influence and manipulation all aspects of social engineering are picked apart, discussed and explained by using real world examples, personal experience and the Science & Technology behind them to unraveled the mystery in social engineering. Kevin Mitnick - one of the most famous social engineers in the world - popularized the term social engineering. He explained that it is much easier to trick someone into revealing a password than to exert the effort of hacking.

5 out of 5 stars

YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK... OR YOU WILL DIE

By
Elija Button
on
23-12-12

Thinking about Cybersecurity: From Cyber Crime to Cyber Warfare

By:
Paul Rosenzweig,
The Great Courses

Narrated by:
Paul Rosenzweig

Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
93

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
79

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
79

Cyberspace is the 21st century’s greatest engine of change. Telecommunications, commercial and financial systems, government operations, food production - virtually every aspect of global civilization now depends on interconnected cyber systems to operate; systems that have helped advance medicine, streamline everyday commerce, and so much more.

The inside story of how America's enemies launched a cyberwar against us - and how we've learned to fight back. In this dramatic audiobook, former assistant attorney general John P. Carlin takes listeners to the front lines of a global but little-understood fight as the Justice Department and the FBI chases down hackers, online terrorist recruiters, and spies.

1 out of 5 stars

A mediocre book made worse by obvious bias.

By
Charlie Wilson
on
14-01-19

Editor reviews

"Krebs's talent for exposing the weaknesses in online security has earned him respect in the IT business and loathing among cybercriminals.... His track record of scoops…h as helped him become the rare blogger who supports himself on the strength of his reputation for hard-nosed reporting." (
Bloomberg Businessweek)

Summary

There is a Threat Lurking Online with the Power to Destroy Your Finances, Steal Your Personal Data, and Endanger Your Life.

In Spam Nation, investigative journalist and cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs unmasks the criminal masterminds driving some of the biggest spam and hacker operations targeting Americans and their bank accounts. Tracing the rise, fall, and alarming resurrection of the digital mafia behind the two largest spam pharmacies - and countless viruses, phishing, and spyware attacks - he delivers the first definitive narrative of the global spam problem and its threat to consumers everywhere.

Was hoping for a lot more

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

This wasn't really a story of Spam Nation, more a look at a particular Russian spammer and Brian's detailed interaction with him.

I very much like and read Brian's website krebsonsecurity which is a treasure trove of really interesting and useful information. I bought this book based on Brian's superb security industry credentials, but was very unimpressed with this offering.

Excellent book

Excellent book by an excellent author. Kerbs investigate work, writing style and narration is second to none. I am a security professional and found this to be a very informative and gripping tale.

Sort by:

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

4 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

RRiley

21-12-14

Risky topic, but Br. Krebs hits it out of the park

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Not only would I recommend it to my Cyber Security Colleagues, I will and have recommended it to a number of technical & non-technical & Leadership professionals that can use the stories in Brian's book to put some context around many of the things we encounter everyday...anywhere from a DDOS attack, phishing email or stolen credit card numbers.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the level of detail that Brian was able to provide - you can't make this stuff up! It takes a great story teller to explain the technical crud and avoid putting your audience to sleep. Brian does a good job grabbing you, let go a few times, and then loops everything back around in the end.

Which scene was your favorite?

I really liked That he was crazy enough to travel overseas and meet some of these people...it's not for the faint of heart, and I will bet that Brian was much more nervous than he let on.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

unfortunately, I have a bit of a personal conection to a few chapters from the book...not with Mr. Krebs, although I have seen him at a couple industry events. My biggest reaction was more of - ahaaa, that is why this stopped happening, or "that explains a lot".

Any additional comments?

I did the kindle and audio versions, the audio was great, but I had to get past the Russian narratives, after a while, ey just became funny parts of the story...as They were probably meant to be.

24 of 24 people found this review helpful

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Douglas S.

24-04-15

Surprised How Riveting a Technology Book Could Be

Any additional comments?

I expected a wonky technology book but found myself caught up in the drama and colorful personalities of a virtual war that impacted all of our lives, though most knew little about. I was equally impressed with the narrator's ability to to switch between accents and reflect the personalities of the subjects involved. By far one of my favorite audiobooks to date.

13 of 13 people found this review helpful

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Morten

16-04-15

Must read

Gives a good insight in to the world of spam. I am glad but very surprised the bad guys left the author alone, considering how he exposes their operating methods.

Write more books Brian.

Morten ZiersenDenmark

12 of 12 people found this review helpful

Overall

4 out of 5 stars

Performance

2 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Matt Arnold

24-11-14

Great book, Narrator will cure your Insomnia

What made the experience of listening to Spam Nation the most enjoyable?

I've followed Brain Krebs since he started at the Post years ago. This book ties together some of his most groundbreaking, and engadging articles over the years and gives the reader a behind the scenes look at both his sources and methods. And the merky world of Russian origanized Cybercrime

What did you like best about this story?

The best thing in this book by far is the explaination of Rouge Online Phramacies. The personal stories from Amaricans who buy from pill shops advertised in spam email are both fascinating, and horrifing. If there were only one reason to reform our perscription drug system this book gives a great one

What didn’t you like about Christopher Lane’s performance?

I did not like Lane's perfomance at all, he drones in a monotone for hours. It detracts from Krebs' excellent writing, and almost makes the book unlistenable Except for his Russian accent which is pretty good, but even that devolves into a monotone after a few minutes

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, with lots of cofee to compinsate for Lane's utterly boring performance :)

10 of 10 people found this review helpful

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

marscook

17-03-15

Excellent book

I really enjoyed this book. Once you get past Brian Krebs love of himself, it's very informative. I'm a frequent visitor of his site and this book goes along with some if the things he writes about. Great listen.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Michelle

18-03-15

Amazing Audio/Read

I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the topic. Best book ever! A

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Overall

4 out of 5 stars

Performance

4 out of 5 stars

Story

3 out of 5 stars

Jean

20-06-15

Informative read

Even though we have good filters on our e-mail programs these days and no longer see all the spam, the author maintains it is a critical problem. Krebs claims the crooks are no longer content with standard commercial fraud, e-mail criminals infect millions of computers worldwide with toxic digital parasites, designed to extort our wealth and steal our personal data.

Krebs states that Russia is the key spam Nation with skilled hackers and corrupt police and is now the global epicenter of cyber crime. Krebs says Visa and MasterCard are starting to successfully shut down spammers. The author says Microsoft and other such companies are becoming successful shutting down “botnets.” Krebs tells of the frightening world of cyber criminals and reveals some of the success in fighting it.

The information is interesting but the author had problems staying focused on the main topic. The writing was jerky at times making for a difficult read but the topic was interesting enough to overcome the writing difficulties. I am glad I listened to this book rather than read it because of all the Russian names. I would not know how to pronounce them. Christopher Lane narrated the story.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

4 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

alexvcoder

13-05-15

Great book

Great story, very insightful. Some names in Russian weren't accurately pronounced but its not a big deal.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Mark

16-12-14

Who knew that Spam was so interesting

What made the experience of listening to Spam Nation the most enjoyable?

Great book that really digs into the spam problem and what drives those to spend so much time and effort sending spam.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Overall

2 out of 5 stars

Performance

1 out of 5 stars

Story

2 out of 5 stars

Audio Gra Gra

14-08-15

Spam for your ears and brain

Very disappointing book on a few levels.

While the book takes you through a bloated account of the stories of some of the key figures in the Russian Spam "industry", the book focusses almost no attention to some of the other aspects of spam - i.e. in particular the stories about the people who click on spam messages and why. There is some token coverage of some anecdotal accounts of people who buy pills from Russian spammers, but no serious attempt to ascertain the quality of the drugs supplied. For what is a huge worldwide online pill industry, Krebs struggles to come up with more than a small handful of people to interview about it. And while Krebs makes brief mention of other well known spam operations, no real light is ever shed on the people who are "victims" of spam.

The narration is also hilariously bad - why it was decided to use Russian accents for some of the people when straight English would have sufficed is curious. All the Russian characters sound like Boris from Rocky & Bullwinkle.

Overall the book just seemed like one long, boring infomercial for the author's website.